Anyone gone trough skin and nipple sparing mastectomy

burcu123

Hello,

 

I will be having skin and nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction in 2 weeks. Has anyone gone trough this. how long it takes to recovered. Did you have drains, were you able to move your arms

Gabe N Abby Mom

I had a bilateral (not skin

I had a bilateral (not skin sparing, no reconstruction) with axillary dissection on the left in Jan 2011.  I had 3 drains at first, they were annoying more than painful.  And I needed my husband's help to care for them for about two weeks, after that I could take care of the remaining one or two myself.

I did have difficulty moving my arms beyond a small range for a while.  The thing that helped get my range of motion back, more than anything else, was the exercises.  In my case they were very gentle but improved my range of motion very quickly.  Be sure that you move anything you reach for (high or low) to a comfortable mid-zone.  Think about dishes, clothes, etc.

Some additional advice, don't be afraid to ask to see a physical therapist.  They can help you with range of motion/pain issues you might have.  My surgeon told me to only lift two pounds at first.  I was also told no repetative motion (vaccuuming/window cleaning/raking leaves) for 6months.

Get pj's/clothes that zip/button up the front.  You won't be able to lift your arms above your head for a while.

Have help lined up, people want to help.  So give them jobs...laundry, clean a room, run an errand, watch the kids, mow the grass, shovel the snow, bring a meal, etc.  For some of us who are used to doing things ourselves, this can be very hard, so you may want to consider one good friend who can organize this for you.

I slept in my bed with a wedge pillow and smaller pillows of various sizes to support my arms.  For a couple of weeks my husband still helped me out of bed.  Others here have slept in a recliner.

I hope this helps you.  More important, I hope your surgery goes smoothly and that your recovery is swift and sure,

Hugs,

Linda

 

 

burcu123

Gabe N Abby Mom said:

I had a bilateral (not skin

I had a bilateral (not skin sparing, no reconstruction) with axillary dissection on the left in Jan 2011.  I had 3 drains at first, they were annoying more than painful.  And I needed my husband's help to care for them for about two weeks, after that I could take care of the remaining one or two myself.

I did have difficulty moving my arms beyond a small range for a while.  The thing that helped get my range of motion back, more than anything else, was the exercises.  In my case they were very gentle but improved my range of motion very quickly.  Be sure that you move anything you reach for (high or low) to a comfortable mid-zone.  Think about dishes, clothes, etc.

Some additional advice, don't be afraid to ask to see a physical therapist.  They can help you with range of motion/pain issues you might have.  My surgeon told me to only lift two pounds at first.  I was also told no repetative motion (vaccuuming/window cleaning/raking leaves) for 6months.

Get pj's/clothes that zip/button up the front.  You won't be able to lift your arms above your head for a while.

Have help lined up, people want to help.  So give them jobs...laundry, clean a room, run an errand, watch the kids, mow the grass, shovel the snow, bring a meal, etc.  For some of us who are used to doing things ourselves, this can be very hard, so you may want to consider one good friend who can organize this for you.

I slept in my bed with a wedge pillow and smaller pillows of various sizes to support my arms.  For a couple of weeks my husband still helped me out of bed.  Others here have slept in a recliner.

I hope this helps you.  More important, I hope your surgery goes smoothly and that your recovery is swift and sure,

Hugs,

Linda

 

 

very usefull thank you

very usefull thank you